Inexplicable

9. Sadie

Why does he keep on leaving? Since the moment I met him, he either protects me as if we've known each other our whole lives, or he's walking away from me like we've never met. I'm standing alone in front of the screen, watching him leave, until finally he's gone. Why is he leaving when he told me he would take me? Why doesn't he have an ID? There are so many why's, so many questions, that I don't have an answer to, but I'm not chasing after him. I guess I'll be going alone. The lady in the screen taps some more buttons and tells me flight 443 will leave in an hour. Same seat. I thank her and walk inside the infinite, glass airport.
I'm seated in a black, cushioned chair, in the waiting area. The only bag I brought was scorched in the plane. Now, all I have is my phone, and what I'm wearing. Thankfully, all my points are still intact, since it's all electronic. I look down at my ring. It reminds of my aunt, my parents, of family. My aunt. I haven't called her. Oh no no no, she must be worried sick. I pull out my phone and say her name. The call begins to ring.
"Sadie?"
"I'm so sorry I haven't called! My plane cra-"
"THANK GOD YOU'RE OKAY. I heard about the plane and none of my calls were going through and I didn't know if you were alive and-"
"It's okay aunt Liz. Really I'm okay. I just had a sprained wrist. A boy had saved the entire plane from crashing." The thought of Aiden makes me sigh.
"You are immensely lucky to have him on the plane then, Sadie. Imagine what could've happened if he wasn't there! I can't even think about. And look, if you want to come back home, I'd understand."
I take a deep breath. "No, I want to go. When I get to the funeral, I'll call. The plane is boarding."
"Okay. Love you."
"Love you too." And the call goes silent.

The plane has just taken off. I lean my head against the seat and look at the ocean. It reminds me of Aiden. I think back to when I last saw him. When he said goodbye, his imperfect, blue eyes were drained of compassion. He was completely serious about leaving. A small part me is wishing he was here. I felt like he was the only person that knew all the answers to my millions of questions. I shake my head. I shouldn't be thinking about someone who I probably won't ever see again.
The plane begins to shift and bounce uneasily. The sudden movement makes my heart stop in fear. I'm thinking the plane is crashing all over again, but the old woman sitting next to me says that it's just turbulence. I take a shaky breath and relax. Just this ride and one flight back and then I'm done with planes. As soon as I'm relaxed, I hear this sound. This specific sound that I have barely ever heard in my life. This sound that means death. The lady next to me. She coughed. Not a clearing-her-throat cough. A cough that means she's sick. If someone finds out, they will take her away and make the plane land immediately. I need to make it through one flight without interruptions, so I can make it to the funeral. I give her some water from the mini fridge, but it doesn't help. I can't be this close to her, but I feel so bad to leave to her alone. She looks like my grams. Her hair is completely white and her pale skin is wrinkled. Her green eyes remain young.
The plane will land in thirty minutes. Ok. I just cannot get sick in thirty minutes. I can do this. I move to the edge of my seat to get as far away from her as I can and try to clear my head. I wonder how it'll be in Northern California. I've read about it before. It's one of the less developed regions in what's left of of the United Provinces. It's been said that the entirety of California was once packed with millions of people. Maybe that's why it was hit with sickness the hardest. Now, Northern California has no grass and contains shelters for the dying at every corner. If my research is correct, Northern California will be decreed that it is not suitable to sustain life in about three months and poof, everyone is gone. The entire area will be quarantined, I've seen it happen to so many regions that were once home to millions of people before. But, that is the only option. The government is trying their best, but sometimes it just isn't enough.